principally identical

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "principally identical" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe two or more things that are mostly the same or have the same fundamental characteristics, with minor differences. Example: "The two theories are principally identical, differing only in their approach to the underlying principles."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

Analysis of the human TMC gene and protein family yielded principally identical results, likely because of the high degree of conservation between human and murine TMC proteins [ 5].

BMC Genomics

Taken together, previous findings in the epibranchial placodes (Washausen et al. 2005) and present findings in the trigeminal placode demonstrate that, in T. belangeri, principally identical patterns of proliferative and apoptotic events contribute to the morphogenesis of different neurogenic placodes.

Brain Structure and Function

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

Principally, because of Kremlin preferences.

Vice

Of course, nobody ever remarks that Simon James and > James Simon look identical – principally because nobody has noticed Simon James even exists.

Independent

4 When the crystal images documented by George Rose were compared with our GTCHC complexes, these were identical, principally in relation to the presence of triangular chiral mirror images and fractals in the tissue environment.

Cancer Management and Research

Can bio-identicals help?

The Guardian - Books

The presence of the same ibeA alleles in strains with identical STs (except for strain C5) might principally indicate a linked evolution of house keeping genes and ibeA and thus an absence of horizontal transfer of ibeA.

Plosone

Those that do – principally academic psychology and sociology – draw unsustainable, transcendental linkages across centuries, while deploying almost identical narratives from 1800 onwards.

History of the Human Sciences

Prokaryotes reproduce principally by binary fission, in which the mother cell enlarges until it divides into two identical daughter cells, with cytokinesis representing the physical division into the two daughter cells.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Since 100 percent sequence identity on the DNA level is not required to maintain identical amino acid sequences, and thereby identical function of a protein, there are no a priori reasons to assume that exonic HCEs are principally different from HCEs at other genomic locations.

Plosone

The data sets acquired by the three different methods can principally be considered independent, because we used data collected using different detectors, and we did not select identical cell regions to extract donor/acceptor signal or emission spectra data for any of the quantitative methods.

Plosone

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "principally identical" when you want to emphasize that two or more things share the same main characteristics, even if they have minor differences. This phrase is suitable for formal and scientific writing.

Common error

Avoid using "principally identical" if the differences are significant or affect the core functionality. If the variations are more than superficial, consider using a weaker term like "broadly similar" or "partially analogous".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "principally identical" functions as an adverb-adjective combination, modifying a noun to indicate that something is largely or mainly identical. Ludwig AI confirms its acceptability.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

60%

News & Media

25%

Encyclopedias

15%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

"Principally identical" is a phrase used to describe items that are mostly the same but have some minor differences. According to Ludwig AI, the phrase is grammatically correct and suitable for formal and scientific writing. However, its use is relatively rare. When using this phrase, ensure that the differences are truly minor and don't significantly alter the core characteristics. Alternatives like "largely the same" or "essentially similar" may be more appropriate depending on the context. This phrase is most commonly found in scientific and news contexts.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

largely the same

Focuses on the extent of similarity rather than the core characteristics.

mostly equivalent

Emphasizes the functional equivalence despite potential minor differences.

essentially similar

Highlights the underlying similarity despite superficial variations.

virtually alike

Indicates a very high degree of similarity, almost to the point of being indistinguishable.

primarily analogous

Suggests similarity in function or relationship, rather than direct identity.

fundamentally comparable

Stresses that the basic aspects are similar and suitable for comparison.

mainly corresponding

Highlights the matching aspects between two or more things.

broadly comparable

Suggests general similarities but allows for notable differences.

substantially uniform

Emphasizes a consistent and shared characteristic across different instances.

for the most part indistinguishable

Indicates that the entities are difficult to differentiate in most aspects.

FAQs

How can I use "principally identical" in a sentence?

You can use "principally identical" to describe items that are mostly the same, with only minor variations. For example, "The two models are principally identical, differing only in their energy consumption".

What are some alternatives to "principally identical"?

Alternatives include "largely the same", "mostly equivalent", or "essentially similar" depending on the context and the degree of similarity you want to convey.

Is "principally identical" formal or informal?

"Principally identical" is generally considered a formal phrase, best suited for academic, scientific, or professional writing. Simpler alternatives might be more appropriate for informal contexts.

What's the difference between "principally identical" and "exactly identical"?

"Principally identical" implies that the items are mostly the same with minor differences, whereas "exactly identical" means they are the same in every way. If there are any differences, however small, "exactly identical" would not be appropriate.